Goodbyes Aren't Always Goodbyes
by Mystic Vixen
Summary: (Complete)Something is happening to important pepole in small towns and such. What is it? Is it even from this planet? Do the X-men have anything to do with these strange happenings? Find out in the first story of the second Black Fox series. Please Read
1. Default Chapter

Melanie was sitting on her sofa, reading Star Trek: The Next Generation All Good Things when she was distracted by the sunset. She laid the good book on the sofa and walked out on to the balcony. The wind instantly played with her short blond hair and her long blue evening dress.  
  
As the wind passed by, so did the memories of her late husband and they hurt. He had only been gone for two weeks now but it felt like forever and a day had passed her by. Then the worst memory of all found its way into Melanie Bank's mind. It was the memory of the night that her husband didn't come home.  
  
She knew that he was working late but she thought he would be next to her, in bed, the next morning. The truth was he was no where in the house. So around six that morning, she got up and headed to the police station.  
  
Once she was in the building she ran up the stairs to her husband's office. He was the police chief. When she came to the door and tried to open it she found it was locked. She knocked on it as hard as she could but her husband didn't open the door. By this time she knew something was wrong. There was no way that Michael would not have heard her banging on the door. Michael had exceptional hearing. That man could hear a pin drop from six feet away.  
  
After banging on the door didn't work she pulled one of her hairpins out of her hair and lock picked the door. When she was inside she found her husband lying on the floor. She tried to wake him up but he didn't answer. She checked his pulse but he no longer had one. She checked for any cuts bullet wound or anything out of the ordinary but didn't find any thing until she looked at his eyes. His eyes were wide but that wasn't the weird part. His eyes were not only green but they were glowing. His body was fine but no one was home.  
  
Luckily, Bill, one of the police man, found her in the office. Melanie couldn't move because she was so shocked. Bill drove Melanie and Michael's body to the hospital where after ten minutes of trying to bring Michael back, pronounced him dead.  
  
Bill took her home shortly after that. Melanie knew that something had killed her husband but she couldn't prove it. Nor could she prove if he had a heart attack or if it was a mutant or an alien. Melanie had told Bill how she felt and he felt the same way but there was nothing they could do about it. They both had gone over the security tape and came out empty handed.  
  
"This is so frustrating!" Melanie said to herself.  
  
A noise from inside the house caught Melanie's attention. She, slowly, walked to the kitchen and pulled Mike's gun out of the cookie jar. It was a good thing her father had taught her how to use a pistol when she was in high school.  
  
"Who's there?" Melanie asked as she moved towards the bedroom but before she could the room, someone grabbed her ankle. She looked down at her feet but there was no hand anywhere. Yet, she was being pulled down and dragged onto the balcony. There, a figure reached out of the darkness, placed its hand on Melanie's brow and threw her off of the balcony on to the ground below.  
  
"You knew too much my dear. I can't have that now can I?" The figure then took to the sky and vanished. It was all over or was it simply the beginning? 


	2. A Stranger

The bartender had seen many people come threw this bar in the years he had worked there. One time a man, who wore and undershirt, a leather jacket, blue jeans and cowboy boots, came in and ordered a Miller Light. Later on that evening after the guy had had about three beers, he got into an argument with Bill, who had more beers than the guy did and not to mention that he wasn't the brightest color in the crayon box. The guy pinned Bill up against the wall using three "knives" that came out of his right hand. One knife was to the left of Bill's neck and the other was on the right. The third one was barely grazing Bill's neck but enough for Bill to get the point. When the guy let Bill go, he paid for his beers and left. The Bartender hadn't seen him since. He, along with everyone who was there that night, knew that the man was a mutant or some kind of secret robot weapon. He didn't mind humans or homo-superiors. In his way of thinking everyone needed to let off some stem every now and then. He didn't care then and he didn't care now. 

Now, there was a woman who sat alone on the far side of the bar. She wore a cowboy hat, black leather jacket, blue jeans and a black top. Her brown hair hung around her shoulders. She looked like she had been on her own, out in the streets, for sometime now. When she took off her jacket the bartender saw a vine tattoo on her left arm that had faded over the years. The brim of her hat hide her face and from the looks of her, she didn't look a day older than twenty-five.

When the woman took a sip of her Miller Light, the bartender saw a scar, or what he thought was a scar, around her left eye. The weird thing was that the scar was dark blue! He walked over to her and smiled. Business was slow so he could afford to have a conversation without some moron trying to bust his head open.

"So what's your story?" the Bartender asked as he cleaned a glass.

"What makes you so sure I have a story to tell?" The woman said.

"I don't know. I guess it's something in the look."

"What look?"

"The staring off into space look. I've seen many women, younger than you, come in her with that look. They just sit and stare. Half the time they don't even know when a guy is hitting on them."

"I don't see a guy hitting on me."

"What do you call what I'm doing right know?"

The woman smiled. She had not had anyone hit on her in along time. In away she missed it but in away not really.

"What's you're name?" The woman asked.

"Steve. Who are you?"

"Let's just say I'm a friend of someone who's been here before. He recommended this place."

"Really?" Steve said now knowing that the woman wasn't going to tell him her name and he was fine with that as long as he got to talk with her.

"I saw you staring at me a little while ago." The woman said as she took off her hat to reveal the full length of the scar. "I got this in a battle when I was fifteen."

"Oh. So you were in the army?"

"Not exactly. Um...Any mutants come in here?" The woman asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, if you're thinking I don't like them, your wrong. My best friend is a mutant. He can move things with his mind. He told me what it was called but I can't remember. It started with a T I think."

"Telekinesis."

"Yeah. That's it. He's telekinetic. So you got any powers?"

"Maybe. I just mite be able to do the same thing your friend can do and..."

The woman closed her eyes and finished her sentence in Steve's mind.** _I am telepathic._**

"What does that mean?" He asked aloud.

**_It means that I can talk with out speaking. I can read other people's thoughts if they so allow me to do. I can also shoot lasers from my fingers on my right hand._**

"Steve," the woman said aloud.

"Yeah?"

"You've got customers." She pointed to the two men who just walked into the door. One was over weight and ugly and the other had blond hair, thin and cute. Both men sat at the bar across the way from the woman.

"I'll be right back." Steve said and the woman nodded.

"Evenin' Bill, Paul. What can I get yah?" Steve asked as he threw a clean towel over his shoulder.

"A Bud for me." Bill said.

"Coffee, black for me." Paul said.

When Steve turned around to fill the men's orders Paul began to talk. "You hear that there's a deadly thing running around, Steve?"

"No. I hadn't heard that one yet. So what is it doing eating everyone alive like the last rumor?"

"C'mon Steve. I serious." Paul said

Steve turned back around to give the men their drinks.

"I hear." Bill started. "that if it touches your forehead with its palm you're dead with in seconds."

"Oh really?" Steve said. "Who's on the case?"

"The police I hope." Paul said after he took a drink of his coffee.

"Um... I heard that Luke Davidson was on the case." Bill said after he finished his beer.

"Didn't he get married last month?" Paul asked.

"No, he proposed to Essara, his partner but she turned him down. He was in here for awhile. He must have gotten over it because he hasn't been in here in a while." Steve said.

The woman had heard everything she needed to know. She put her money on the table, grabbed her hat and jacket and walked out without a word to Steve.

"What's her problem?" Bill asked.

"I'll be back." Steve said.

"Looks like Steve's got a new girlfriend." Paul said.

"Shut up!" Steve threw the towel at Paul as he walked out the door. He was running after the woman but he only found that she had left the scene with out a trace. Something in him told him that he would never she that woman again.


	3. A Difficult Day

Knole and Mian walked out side looking for Andi and, just as they thought, they found her sitting on the veranda with Michael and Nethogent. 

Mian remembered when she called him Mikie but after their mother left and father died he grew up fast, almost too fast. Andi might not have seen the drastic change but Mian did. She remembered the days before that terrible mission. He had skipped all of his classes to flurt with Amara, who was two years younger than he was. Andi thought it was so funny because he had finally ditched on a day when Mian taught.

The days after everything changed, classes were canclled for a while to help everyone gather their thoughts but not Michael. He did all of his studies day and night and hardly slept or ate. Logan had seen this, as well as everyone else, and relised just how much Michael was like Theressa.

Mian and Logan remembered when Andi was taken aceddentally by the Shi'ar. Theressa was in the danger room fighting a simulation of an alien for three full days and nights. Finally they got her to stop but none the less it was very difficult becuase she was stubborn.

Michael had gotten away with this for almost a full year. He had eatten and slept but during breaks and such he worked his butt off. With concern for his grandson, Logan convinced him to take two weeks off. This week was his last week off.

"Mian, You okay?" Knole asked when he relised, halfway to the verana, that Mian was still at the porch.

"What?" Mian asked.

"You all right?" Knole repeated.

"Yeah, just thinking." Mian said as she walked next to Knole and the started to walk again.

"'bout Michael?"

"Yeah. He had to grow up way too fast."

"We all did, Mian. We all did." Knole said trying to reasure is girlfriend's sister. "come on."

Knole and Mian finally reached the veranda. Mian sat next to Nethogent and Knole sat between Andi and Michael.

"Andi," Knole said as he put his loving arm around his girlfriend. "What's wrong? You've been down latly. Not to metion that you have tears running down your face."

" I'm fine." Andi said as she wipped away some tears. "It's just that today is the one year anniversary of the death of my dad and when my mom left."

"Andi, how many times do I have to remind you?" Mian scolded her sister. "Shedid what she had to do. It was even harder on her than it was, and still is, on us."

Nethogent took Mian's hand and kissed her on the head. He loved how brave she was and espessually the way she expressed her bravery. She knew her duties and nothing would stop her.

"Then why hasn't she called?" Andi asked as new tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Because it would be too hard for her to say good-bye again. You've got to understand that!"

"I don't have to understand anything Miandra!" Andi screamed. "Now if you don't mind I would like to finish my lunch alone." Andi gathered the remains of her lunch and ran to the door. Knole started to get up but Mian stopped him.

"This time she needs to be alone. I'll talk to her later. Right now I want to enjoy this day as long as I can."

Knole turned to Michael and placed his left hand on the young man's back. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. I'll see you guys later. I've got some thing I'm working on." Michael waved to everyone and soon was gone back into the mansion.

"When does he graduate?" Knole asked Mian.

"Next month. None too soon. He seems to be rather excited."

"I would to if I only had one more month of college left. He's graduating early right?" Nethogent asked.

"Yeah. I'm worried about him."

"Why?" Knole asked. "He seems to be doing fine."

"Yeah. Remember how we knew he would be a leader from the beginning?"

"Yeah." Nethogent said.

"Well, Logan and I think he may go to the bad side."

"What makes you think that?" Knole asked.

"The fact that he is always up to something, pulls pranks, is almost always alone. Just little things like that but I'm afraid that because both of our parants are gone this has effected Michael more than anyone could, and will, ever know. I'm just really scared for him. I'll see you boys later. Don't tell Michael that I told you this Knole. I know you talk to him alot. Just do me a favor and keep an eye on him."

"Will do." Knole said.

As soon as Mian was out of ear shot the two men began to talk.

"Knole," Nethogent asked. "When are you going to ask her?"

"I don't know? What about you and Mian?" Knole replied to his brother.

"I don't know. I might give it a few more days." Nethogent answered.

"What ever you do you better make it fast or I'll take both of them!" A voice said from behind Knole and Nethogent. They turned around to see the one and the only Wolverine leaning over the veranda fence.

"Logan!" Nethogent siad in surprise. "I thought you were suppose to be teaching a class?"

"I am. Lay off the asking or whatever your up to for right now." Logan said.

"I thought you said to do it fast you will take them?" Knole asked as he scratched his head.

"I wasn't serious. That was somethin' I said to get your attention." Logan replied in a tone that made Knole feel stupid.

"How do you know we're up to something?" Nethogent asked as he crossed his arms and tried to stare down Wolverine.

"First off, ya'll are boys. You're always gonna have an ace up your sleeve. Secondly, I heard ya'll talkin' about it. Remember?"

"Why do we have to wait?" Nethogent asked.

"Becuase, as ya'll saw, the girls are kind of worked up about today and don't play like you don't know why. I'm sure they'll say no if you ask them now."

"You know don't you." Nethogent asked. "But how?"

Logan smiled. "You ain't got to have telepathic powers to see what you two are thinking."

"Who told you?" Nethogent asked.

"Michael!" Logan replied with a smile still on his face.

"How did he know?" Nethogent asked.

"Knole told him." Logan replied, moving his gaze to Knole.

"You did what!" Nethogent exclamied in panic. "Michael will tell the girls for sure."

"How do you know?" Knole asked

"Becuase he tells them everything. I once told him what I got Mian for her birthday and he told her. She wasn't surprised at all when I gave it to her."

"Calm down lover-boy." Logan said as he put his hand on Nehtogent's shoulder. "I made him swear that he wouldn't say a word to anyone. Just wait. That's all I'm sayin'. Deal?"

"Deal." Knole and Nethogent said together.

**_Logan, Jean, Scott. Your assistance is needed in the med-lab._**

"C'mon boys. You're coming with me." Logan said as he dashed toward the mansion. Knole and Nehtogent looked at each other and then followed Logan.


	4. Mysterious Girl

When Logan, Knole and Nethogent arrived, out of breath, at the med- lab Jean, Beast, Scott, Michael, Mian, and Xavier where circled around a girl on one of the med-beds.  
  
"Who is this?" Logan asked as he walked in and stoood by Jean. "I don't know" Jean said. "This girl showed up at our door step this afternoon. I answered the door and she fell into my arms. She hasn't woken up since."  
  
"Chuck, Can't you read her head?" Logan asked.  
  
"I could." Xavier said.  
  
"But?" Logan implied.  
  
"But as I have told the others, I'm not going to. I don't like to pry into people's minds without their consent or knowlage of what I am doing. It is simply invading.............."  
  
"..........invading people's privacy and their God given free will. Chuck I've heard it before. Cut the small talk." Logan interupted.  
  
"We simply have to wait until she wakes up." Xavier said as he wheeled himself out of the room.  
  
Later that evening, when everyone was at dinner, Michael was in the med-lab with the mysterious woman. She had to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. (Which that would make her as old as Michael.) He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. It was as if the young woman possessed powers to hypnotize him. He saw that her blue jeans were tattered and torn in almost every place. Her black spagetti strap top was torn at the middle and her short black hair had hints of read. He couldn't tell if it was blood or if she had striked her hair at one time. He looked for a wound of any kind but couldn't find one. He assumed it wasn't blood becuase if it was Jean and Beast would have found it along with all of her other cuts brueses and wounds.  
  
As Michael ran his fingers threw her short black hair, her eyes fluttered and then opened. He saw that she had the prettiest green eyes he had ever seen. They were rain forest green and they were darker than any one who had green eyes. The woman saw Michael starring at her and grabbed his hand that still touched her hair. She flipped him over her bed and onto the floor. She jumped off of the bed and ran out of the room. Michael was just getting up when she ran out, and had no time to stop her.  
  
He ran out into tha hall and got on the elevator. Just as he came out of the elevator, he saw Logan restraining the woman against the wall. AS Michael looked around the hall he saw Xavier not to far away from Logan. "Logan, don't hurt her!!" Michael said. "She's just scared." "Don't worry Michael. I won't. I'm just holding her so chuck can get in to her head.  
  
Suddenly, the girl fell down and cried in pian. "Logan what did you do to her?" Michael cried.  
  
"Nothing." Logan assuered his grandson.  
  
"I did." Xavier said. "She was using her telekinetic powers to surround her broken leg with some kind of force feild where she wouldn't feel the pain. I wasn't able to calm her mind down but I did manage to put a block on her power. This means she won't be able to use her telekinetic powers until a telepath allows her to. That's all I did Michael. You will have to learn the rest from her." Xavier and Logan left Michael alone in the hall with the girl. The young woman tried to get up and run for it but she fell backward into Michael.  
  
"Woah. Take it easy. You're not going to be able to walk for a while. You broke your leg. You hungry? I can go get you something to eat."  
  
"First of all," She said. "Where the heck am I and who the heck are you? Why were you touching my hair like that?"  
  
"My name is Michael Knight. You are at the Xavier Instatute for Gifted Youngsters. I was checking for any cuts or bumps on your head."  
  
"How did I get here?"  
  
"You mean, you don't remember?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"René Perez."  
  
"Is that all you know? Your a telekinetic right?"  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A telekinetic. You can move things with your mind."  
  
"Yeah. I've had it ever since I was little. All though I can't seem to us my power at the moment."  
  
"You never answered my question." Michael said, changing the subject for he was unsure if he should tell Renae or not. He would ask the professor later.  
  
"What was your question?"  
  
"Do you only remember your name and what power you have?"  
  
Yeah, appears to be that way. So I've told you a little about me. It 's your turn. What powers do you have?"  
  
"I'm telekinetic like you."  
  
"How many people have that one power?"  
  
"Two that I know of. Jean Grey Summers and my mother, Theressa Conwell Knight."  
  
"When can I meet her, your mother?"  
  
"You can't. She kind of took off about a year ago after my father was killed." Michael said, choosing his words carefully. He wanted to tell her about what had happened without telling her all of the details. "She felt that she was responsible and couldn't stay here. She thought she was putting our lives in danger by staying here some how."  
  
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."  
  
"It's okay. You couldn't have known. So what of your parents? Is it as bad as mine?"  
  
There was a long silence. Michael looked at Renae's face and he couldn't read it. It was blank. There was no emotion. Nothing. She was starring off into space. It was like she was there but yet, she wasn't there at all.  
  
"Renae!" Michael said as he waived his hand in front of her face.  
  
"What?" Renae asked as if nothing had happened.  
  
"You okay? You kind of spaced out for a minute. I asked you about your parents and where you came from and how you got that tick-tack-toe scar."  
  
"I don't remember."  
  
"What's the last thing you do remember?"  
  
"I was in a forest somewhere, when all of a sudden, this guy in a brown suit with a brown helmet came out of nowhere. He ripped a tree out of the ground! I tried to fight him with my telelkinetic powers but he was too strong, so he hit me with the tree. The last thing I remember was seeing a man with feather wings. I guess he was my Gardian Angel. That probably sounds stupid to you.  
  
"No, not at all. Listen, I've got some things I have to do, so why don't I take you to my sister, Mian, and she can show you around. I'll even have her find you a wheelchair so you don't have to put any pressure on your leg."  
  
"That would be great." Renae replied. Michael helped her up and helped her walk down the hall to meet Mian. 


	5. Seeking a friend's help

Police Station in Nashville, Tennessee  
A woman walked in to the station, with the brim of her cowboy hat hiding her face, and walked to the front desk. The young woman at the front desk was blond, wore a red dress and was very pretty. She was also working on something so she hadn't re someone was standing in front of her. The woman cleared her throught and got the girl's attention.  
  
"How can I help you?" She said with a sweet smile on her face.  
  
"I'm looking for a Luke Davidson. Do you know where I can find him?"  
  
"Yeah," said a voice from behind the woman. "Right here." The woman turned around and saw the man she was looking for. He was a tall sharp looking man. His hair was blond with a hint of brown. He wore bluejeans, cowboy boots, and a mussel shirt that really showed his six-pack. "I'm Luke Davidson. What can I do for yah?"  
  
"Can we talk in your office?" The woman asked.  
  
"Who are you?" Luke asked because as far as he knew he had never seen this woman in his life.  
  
The woman closed her eyes and spoke telepathically to Luke. A friend. was all she said. She then opened her eyes "Yeah, sure, we can talk in my office." The woman followed Luke to his office. She walked in and then he shut the door behind him.  
  
"Who are you?" Luke asked the woman as he saw her take off her jacket and her hat and place it on the desk. "Black Fox of the X-men but you know me as Theressa Knight. I used to live down the street from you and I married Chris Knight awhile back. Ring a bell?"  
"Yep, I haven't heard from you in for ever. How's Chris?"  
  
"He was killed on our last mission. After that mission I left the X- men. I told you I had a daughter right?"  
  
"Yeah, name was Jasmine right?"  
  
"Yeah, well, she went to the other side and I had three more children. Andi, Mian, who are twins, and Michael is my youngest."  
  
"Where are your kids?" Luke asked as he looked around the room.  
  
"There with the X-men in New York."  
  
"Why did you leave them?"  
  
"I had no other choice. I am the reason my husband is dead." Tears came rolling down Theressa's face and as far as Luke could tell the weren't going to stop for a while.  
  
"What? You killed Chris?"  
  
"Not on purpose. I was being controled by Nick Fury. A few years ago he had put a devise on the back of my brain stem. He used that, a year ago today, to take over the world for Magneto. I tried really hard to stop myself, I was even able to over come the device for a few minutes toallow them to escape but I wasn't able to disable the device. I eventually lost complete control and Fury told me to kill chris, whom I was fighting at the time, so I got out my knife and killed him. I left the next morning while the kids were asleep. I know you don't think I did the right thing but I had to. I didn't want to hurt my kids or any of the students like I did Chris. So as far as I know I did the right thing."  
  
"Did you get the device out?"  
  
"No, but Jean Grey, strong telepath and a very strong telekinetic, telepathically disabled it. Not to mention the fact that Fury died when the cave caved in."  
  
"I think you should go back. If only Fury could control you then you have nothing to worry about and if Jean disabled it. Why...."  
  
"Please don't lecture me. I've had enough of that when I just talk to myself." Theressa said as she wiped away the rest of her tears.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"I heard that you had a problem with some mutant that is killing everyone."  
  
"How'd you hear that?"  
  
"Two guys down at the local bar. You need help or not?"  
  
"Yeah, I would love some extra help. First we would have to check out two murders that are linked somehow. You want to check it out?"  
  
"Do I ever."  
  
After Michael had given Mian specific instructions, he told Scott Jean, Logan and Andi to meet him in the Xavier's office. When everyone was there he prepared himself to give an explanation.  
  
"Okay kid," Logan said, who was leaning against the door way. "This about the girl down stairs?"  
  
"Yeah. I've been talking to her for the past hour."  
  
"What did you find out?" Jean asked.  
  
"Not much. She, for some reason, can't remember any part of her life before now but there is one thing. She said that a man ina metal helmet ripped a tree out of the ground and hit her with it for no apparent reason. Any guess as to who that is?"  
  
"Juggernaut!" Xavier said with his eyes wide.  
  
"Who?" Andi asked. She, Mian nor Michael had heard of this mutant before.  
  
"Juggernaut." Xavier repeated. "He is my older step brother. He always hated me. He has the X-gene but when he used the M'cran crystal to give him power, it did just that. He is the strongest mutant that mankind has ever seen. The only way to stop him is if he were to take his helmet off and he won't do that because he uses his helmet as protection against me."  
  
"You mean like Magneto?" Scott asked and Xavier nodded his head in a silent reply. "Is there anything else?" Scott asked Michael.  
  
"Yeah, she said she saw a man with wings. Said he was her Gardian Angel."  
  
"Angel!" Scott said. "He must have brought her here and then flown off when Jean answered the door."  
  
"Did you get her name?" Logan asked.  
  
"Renae Perez." Michael replied.  
  
"There's somethin' bigger than us here." Logan said. "I can fell it."  
  
"She says that's all she remembers, Logan." Michael argued with his grandfather.  
  
"Still, I don't trust her." Logan said. "For all we know she could be on a secret missionfor some evil bad guy. After all the kid did pick a fight with me."  
  
"Logan, I trust her." Michael said. "That's that."  
  
"Logan! Michael!" Xavier said. "Please! Now, she is a telekinetic but I have set up a Psicic block on her power so that she won't be able to harm anyone. Only Jean or I can remove it. As of right now I don't want to move it and take the risk that she would hurt or kill someone. Now, Michael is that everything?"  
  
"Yes." Michael replied. After everyone had left, Michael still stood in his place. Xavier rolled over to Theressa's only son, whom, like all of his students and his X-men, had come to love as his own.  
  
"There is something else?" Xavier asked.  
  
"Yeah, Renae asked me why she couldn't use her power. I didn't tell her the reason becuase I didn't know what you wanted me to say. Now I am asking what I should do if it comes up again."  
  
"As of right now, just change the subject if it does come up again. I'm not sure the only thing she is able to do is move things with her mind. Something else?"  
  
"Yeah, last question, could you read her mind to find more about her?"  
  
"I don't know. As you know I don't like reading people's minds with out them knowing."  
  
"What if she knew. You know, if I talked to her and she knew what you were doing."  
  
"All right, but only is sure agrees to it." Xavier said as Michael nodded his head and ran out the door.  
  
"So what do you think?" Luke asked Theressa as she looked around the living room of the victim.  
  
"Not much." Theressa replied. "Who lived here?"  
  
"The police chief and his wife."  
  
"What happened to the guy?" Theressa asked as she searched around the living room and Luke looked in the kitchen.  
  
"Same thing that's been happening to everyone else."  
  
"What is that exactly?" Theressa waled out on to the balcony.  
  
"People are just falling down dead." Luke informed his long-life friend.  
  
"With out any explanation I suppose." Theressa said. Luke nodded his head as he continued his search.  
  
"Where was the police chief when he was killed?" Theressa asked.  
  
"He was in his office at the police station. Why?" Luke asked  
  
"I'm thinking that we could look at the tape recording and get our bad guy." Theressa said  
  
"Okay. What else did you have in mind?" Luke replied  
  
"I think, personally, I would do better if we visited some friends of mine. I really think they could help."  
  
"Sure." Luke said as they headed out the door. "And on the way over we can go over the rest of the data I found but before we do we have to run by the station and get the tapes."  
  
"All right that sounds good to me." 


	6. Renee

Two days after Xavier had searched Renae's mind, Logan and Jean where in his office.  
  
"So," Jean said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "What did you find?"  
  
"she is a very desturbed girl." Xavier began. "She lived on the streets of Equador ever since she was old enough to walk. I found alot of running and screaming. She's never had a real home. She's been going from place to place for a very long time."  
  
"So the kid's a runaway. "Logan commented.  
  
"Oh she's more than that, Logan. In Ecuador, her father died and her mothercould not affored to take care of Renae and her five older brothers. So Reane and two of the brothers became streetrats."  
  
"What the heck is a streetrat?" Logan asked.  
  
"A streetrat is just a term for children who jump on cars for a free ride. As I was saying, one of her brothers was killed by a buss. That was also the day that her telekinetic powers evolved. I said that she's never had a true home. I believe that this place is the best thing for her. I believe Michael is the best thing for her."  
  
"I don't think so chuck." Logan said.  
  
"Why not?" Jean asked as she crossed her arms.  
  
"Michael is just a boy. The girl could be with Apocolipse for all we know. The kid's been threw a rough year and now ain't the time to make him responsable for a girl."  
  
"Logan," Xavier said. "Just because you had a rough start with Renae gives you no right to tell Michael that he can't befriend this young woman. If Theressa were here she would want you to do the same."  
  
"If Theressa were here she would be doing the same thin' I'm tryin' to do. She would allow Michael to hang with Renae but she would keep her eye on them both. I know her better than anyone in this whole darn place!" Logan said as he stomped out of the room.  
  
A few feet away from him, in the living room, he heard Renae talk9ing on a com-link or phone to someone.  
  
"Angel," said a man's voice. "Are you in?"  
  
"Yes." She replied.  
  
"Have you found the boy?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Have you done it yet?"  
  
"No. I have to gain his trust."  
  
"Well, hurry! Time is of the escents."  
  
"Yes sir." Renae said as she hung up. Just as she did, Loghan waked in. "Who was that?" He asked as he reached for his paper that he had left on the back of the couch.  
  
"Um....Um....No one. Just a friend I met a while back." Renae said stuttering over her words. "I've....Um....got to...um.... get to.....Um.....I have some stuff I need to do." Renae said as she ran out of the room as fast as she could. Logan walked into the hallway where he ran into Michael. Which Logan thought was weird becuase she had a broken leg and her telekinetic powers weren't avalable.  
  
"Kid, I've got to talk to yah." Logan said  
  
"What's up Logan?"  
  
"It's Renae. I don't want yah around her. shge's on some mission for some guy and she's after you. Not to mention that she was running on her broken leg." Michael folded his arms and glared at Logan evenly.  
  
"Really? Who's she working for? Give me a name and I'll believe you."  
  
"I don't know. I've heard the voice before but I can't remember his name."  
  
"Logan, for the first time in my life I think you're a lier! Jean gave her a splint. It's probably helping so mush that she can run."  
  
"I ain't a lier, Michael. I'm just tellin' you what's best for you"  
  
"Oh yeah! Well, take a hint and stop! Your not my father and your most definatly not my mother!" Michael screamed at Logan. He then ran off to find Renae.  
  
"Reane!" Michael called when he finally found her in the garden. "Michael What's wrong?" Renae asked. "Nothing. Just, Logan thinks that you are out to get me." Michael told her.  
  
Suddenly, Renae's face went blank. Michael was about to go get Jean, when Renae grabbed his hand. Without looking at him Renae said, "I need to know if you will do anything for me?"  
  
"Yes. of course I will." Michael said as he let Renae's hand go.  
  
"Do you trust me?"  
  
"Yes, even when ho one else does."  
  
Renae looked at Michael with glowing red eyes. "Do you believe me hwen I say we need to get out of here?"  
  
"Yes!" Michael said. His eyes were now glowing red.  
  
"Good!" Renae said, eyes still red. "Take my hand, we will leave and shall never return." Michael grabbed Renae's hadn and they took off into the evening sky. 


	7. Surprises

It was dark when Theressa and Luke reached their destination. It was new to Luke, although he had heard of it, but it was very warm and familiar to Theressa. It had been too long since she and her father sat on the front steps and watched the sunrise. It had been too long since she had scowled one of her children for not playing fairly with another student. This had been her home since she was twelve. Yes she had left when she married Chris but she came back when Jasmine was taken from her and then left again last year. It did her heart good to see the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters again but she would have to take in the cites later. Right now she had some business to attend to.  
  
"Are we going in?" Luke asked.  
  
"Not this way. We'll park the truck a few blocks from here so that no one knows were here and I'll put my bike in the garage." Theressa telekinetically lifted her bike out of the back of Luke's truck and lifted the garage and gently set the bike down and shut the garage very quietly. Then Luke drove his F-150down a little ways and soon returned.  
  
"So what's the plan?" Luke asked.  
  
"Follow me." Theressa said as they walked around to the back of the mansion. They passed several people on the way but they didn't seem to notice them at all.  
  
"T, why didn't those people see us when we passed them?" Luke asked when they were at the back door.  
  
"Because we are just three flies in their eyes. I'm telepathically disguising our appearance. Now, it's around seven so everyone should be eating dinner or just be finished with it except for one person. I'm going to have to ask you to stay out here. Wait never mind. You can stay in my old room."  
  
"What makes you so sure that they didn't give it away?" Luke asked.  
  
"My dad." Theressa replied. Theressa telekinetically opened the door and they walked in. Everyone they passed didn't seem to notice them, luckily. Theressa was glad she hadn't seen her children yet. Even though she would look like a fly to them she knew that Andi and Mian would figure out who it was if she wasn't careful.  
  
After Theressa was sure that Luke was comfortable, she, still disguised as a fly, went to the elevator and down to a room she hadn't seen in a little over a year. It had been her favorite room in the whole house. It was the Danger room. When she opened the doors she saw a man who was older that dirt, in some people's way of thinking. Theressa smiled to herself. She hadn't seen him workout in forever and she missed it until that moment. She had missed his growling, cursing and howling. She had missed seeing and hearing his six metal claws slash through things. Most of all she had missed calling him dad. Theressa walked up behind the man and shot him with a laser. He didn't expect it so he fell forward.  
  
"What the heck? I haven't felt a blast like that since......"  
  
He turned around only to see a fly buzzing around his face. He moved the fly out of his face as he scratched his head. "Yo, Cyke, kill the danger will yah?"  
  
"Sure thing." Scott said s he shut the program down. "What's wrong?" Scott asked.  
  
"I think T's here."  
  
"How?"  
  
"She shot me with a laser and I know her lasers when I'm shot with one." Logan looked around the room. "T you here?"  
  
What do you think Dad?  
  
Where are you?  
  
Try and guess.  
  
Well, you ain't any where in the room.  
  
Wrong!  
  
You up there with Cyke?  
  
Wrong again. Give up?  
  
Yeah where are you?  
  
Theressa lowered her telepathic disguise and showed her father that she was in front of him the whole time. She lowered her self to the grown and hugged her father. "What are you doing here?" Logan asked.  
  
"Logan, is that anyway to treat your daughter?" Theressa asked.  
  
"I'm sorry. What the heck are you doing here?" Logan said as a huge smile came on his face. "You sound just like I did when you came home." Theressa said.  
  
"Good to see you kid. So what's the trouble?" Logan asked as they walked out of the danger room and on to the elevator.  
  
"What makes you think there's trouble?"  
  
"So far yah've done everything I did. So the reason yah've come back now is because there's trouble." Both of them stepped out of the elevator but Logan's words made Theressa stop in her tracks. Logan pulled his daughter's chin up so that his gaze met her's. "Hon, you can tell me anythin'. I ain't tryin' to make you feel bad fer leaven' but you are here for a reason."  
  
"There's a thing running lose around America. It is killing people, somehow, without leaving a singel scar. I'm here to talk to you, Scott, my kids, Jean, Storm, and Xavier about it. I've brought a friend that is also working on the case." Theressa blurted out all at once.  
  
"Where's your friend?"  
  
"Up in my old room. You didn't give it away did you?"  
  
"You got in didn't yah?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then, I didn't give it away."  
  
In the conference room:  
"Charles," Jean said. "What is the big Surprise?"  
  
"You will soon see Jean." Xavier replied as he looked at Wolverine, who had just walked in.  
  
Where is she? Xavier asked.  
  
Outside. She's talkin' to her friend that not even I have met yet. Logan replied.  
  
Must be some friend. Xavier replied.  
  
Must be. Logan said as he looked from face to face. Xavier sat at the end, Scott on his left and Jeannie next to Scott. Storm sat next to Logan and Beast and Logan sat to the right of Xavier. "Still no sign of Andi or Mian?" Scott asked. "You did call them didn't you?"  
  
"Yes I did." Xavier said.  
  
"Hope they get here soon." Jean said.  
  
"I would like ya'll to meet........." Logan said, giving his daughter her cue. She came into the room and everyone but Xavier and Logan gasped. "Fox!" Jean and Scott said as they ran to give her a hug.  
  
After she had given out hugs, Fox stood before the X-men. "Now, for the real intro. X-men I would like you to meet Luke Davidson." At the sound of his cue, Luke walked in and stood by Fox. "Hold off on the welcomes for right now." Fox said. "There is a mutant or alien or robot running around America killing people. It kills them without leaving a scratch."  
  
"How is it doing this?" Scott asked.  
  
"We are not sure yet." Luke said. "But we think it's a mutant."  
  
"Also, I heard some guys at the bar in Tennessee talking about it." Fox added.  
  
"Like I said earlier," Logan said with a grin. "You've done everything I've done."  
  
"You said that it might be an alien." Xavier began. "Could it be one of the Shi'ar's enemies or a shi'ar traitor?"  
  
"I don't think so Professor." Fox said. "We have yet to see the killer. That is, we have yet to see the security tapes. Would you mind if we put it in now?" Theressa asked Xavier.  
  
He shock his head and Fox moved to the TV and VCR that was on the wall. She remembered when Scott and her installed it. Just as Fox had gotten the tape in and was about to play it, the door flew open and Andi and Mian bragged in. Out of breath, Andi said, "Michael's gone!" 


	8. Hide and Seek

At the sound of those words that Andi had said, Theressa's heart sank into her stomach and her scare turned a dark green. This news brought back feelings from long ago. Feelings she felt when her daughters, Jasmine, Anid and Mian, were taken from her and Chris. Jasmine had never been retured, or rather retrieved, were, thankfully, Andi and Mian had been. Nothing had happened to Michael, not yet anyway. The sound of Storm's voice brought Fox back to earth.  
  
"Where could he have gone?" She was saying.  
  
"Fox, you okay?" Luke asked.  
  
"Yeah... um.....where was the last place you saw him?"  
  
"I last saw him in the garden with Renée." Andi told her mother. "I didn't think anything of it."  
  
"Dammit!" Logan said as he slammed his fist on the table.  
  
"What's wrong dad?" Fox asked.  
  
"The last time I saw the kid, I told him he should stay away from Renée. I told him that I heard her talking to someone earlier. She said something about haven' to get someone's trust first. The guy on the other end told her to hurry and do it. He got mad at me and called me a lier for sayin' things about Renée. Another thing that was weird was that Renée ran out of the room when I came in."  
  
"You know how the boy is with authority, Logan" Scott said  
  
"Well, a lot of people run out of the room when you come in." Scott said. Jean hit him in the chest.  
  
"No. She had a broken leg when she came to the institute three or four days ago. Now, either the kid has powers like me or she's some how taped into her telekinetic powers again."  
  
"Well, I did put a splint on it." Jean said "but it wouldn't relieve the pain, or enable her enough to run. Maybe walk but not run."  
  
"Let's watch the tape. Maybe we can find some answers there." Luke said as Fox handed him the remote and he hit play. While everyone was watching the tape, Theressa moved over to the door and waited. Surely no one expected her to wait here until they figured out a plan? Just as Fox was about to walk out the door, Logan jumped up and yelled at Luke. "Pause it! Pause it!" Luke did as he wished and Theressa walked over to her dad.  
  
"What is it?" Theressa asked, along with every other face in the room.  
  
"That's Renée!" Wolverine said as he pointed to the glowing figure on the screen.  
  
"Luke, can I see the remote?" Theressa asked. Luke nodded and gave it to her. Theressa hit a few buttons and the screen zoomed in on the figure. It appered to be a woman but She wasnt' sure so Fox zoomed in even further. Finally she was saticfied, when she had zoomed it in all the way.  
  
"Well, it appears to be Renée." Beast said as he too stood to his feet to take a better look at the screen. Fox took a good look at the screen and ran out the door. Andi saw her leave so she started to leave as well but Logan stopped her. "Let me talk to her." He said. "Yah know. Father to daughter." Andi agreed and allowed her gramps to pass.  
  
"T," Logan yelled when he caught up with his daughter outside. "T, wait up!" Fox stopped, reluctantly, and waited for her dad to catch up. "Where you going kid?"  
  
"Where do you think I'm going? I'm going to find my son!"  
  
"With out your bike?"  
  
"I'm flying. The bike would only slow me down. Even with all those gadgets Scott and I put on it. I'm going alone! That's that." Theressa began to go into the air when her dad caught her attention again. She saw him run to the back of the mansion and soon saw the blackbird come up above the instate and over to Theressa, who was in the air.  
  
"I'm coming and you don't have to like it!" Logan said. He saw Theressa take off and disappear up ahead.  
  
Why do you have to do this? She asked  
  
Do what? Wolverine asked. He remembered when he had asked Fox that very question. She was twelve and didn't want to look weak. She still didn't. That's one thing she got from him.  
  
Why do you have to be so stubborn?   
  
Because I can. Besides I recall a certain daughter of mine who is just as bad. Where are you?   
  
Ahead of you.   
  
Any sign of Michael?   
  
No. I'm doing a mind scan right now.   
  
Pickin' up any thin'?  
  
No. It's like he just fell off the face of the earth.   
  
What if he isn't on earth? Logan hinted.  
  
Yah mean like what happened with Andi?   
  
Yeah. What if aliens caught him?   
  
You make it sound like he was off gallivanting through unknown territory. I mean, he was in the garden right?   
  
Yeah.  
  
So how could a huge spacecraft abduct Michael without anyone hearing?   
  
Stealth shields? Logan joked.  
  
Dad, no one has stealth shields like that. Actually no one has stealth shields period.   
  
How do you know?   
  
I just do, okay.   
  
A few moments of silence passed when Wolverine saw Fox flying in front of him.  
What's wrong? He asked as he shut the bike off.  
  
Storm clouds up a head. It doesn't look pretty. She told him. This shocked him. He thought his daughter would continue to look for her son no matter what. "Well, hope in and we'll go back.   
  
Who said anything about going back?   
  
You did. Didn't yah?  
  
No. I told you that so you would let me in and I could fly that bird and put a shield around it. I don't think it can stand the hail and lightning in that storm. Theressa saw her father nod his head as he lowered the ramp. She flew in and took over the pilot's seat while her dad took the co-pilot's seat. Theressa flew the Blackbird right into the storm. Then, in the middle of the storm Fox spotted Michael and a young Woman known as Renée. Theressa got out of her seat and opened the ramp.  
  
"T, what are you doing? Yah ain't goin' out there are yah?"  
  
"Of course I'm going out there. That's my son and I have to save him. This is a job for the Black Fox and the Black Fox alone." "Fine," Logan said as he threw a con-link to Fox. "Just keep your com-link on in case I see something." "Deal." 


	9. Andi's Choice

Mian, Jean, and Scott were walking in the hallway, when they saw Andi come out in her uniform. It was blue and slanted to the right, so she only had a left sleeve.  
  
"Andi, where are you going?" Scott asked.  
  
"Where do you think I'm going?" Andi replied  
  
"Andrea," Mian said sternly. "You can't go out and find mom and gramps. It just won't work."  
  
"Why not?" Andi asked.  
  
"Because they are very good at hidding from people who want to find them and convice them to do something else." Mian said. Scott, seeing why Andi wanted to do this, he told Jean and Mian to go ahead and go and that he would catch up with them later. He moved in front of Andi, who was like a niece to him, and placed his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Andrea," He said softly. "She'll come back this time."  
  
"How do you know? She left and didn't even call once."  
  
"Actually she did call a few times but it was late and either you were on a date or asleep. I just know. I have a strange relationship with your mother. Just trust me."  
  
"But I ....."  
  
"Trust me! I'll see you later. Oh one more thing." Scott said with a glimer in his eyes. "Be back by three."  
  
"Thanks Uncle Scott." Andi said as she gave him a big hug. He nooded and then ran off to cautch up with Mian and Jean. Andi moved to the door in front of her and knocked on it. "Just a second." A voice said. Five seconds later the door opened and Nethogent was on the other side. "Hey, nethogent, is Knole in?" Andi asked. "Yeah, I'll see you too later. Have you seen Mian?" "She just ran off with Jean and Scott." Andi replied. She turned to her boyfriend who had invited her in. "Where are the keys I gave to you to hold on for me?" Andi asked  
  
"Thee hidden in a really good spot. Why?" Knole asked.  
  
"Because I need them. Can you get them for me?"  
  
"Yeah just one second." Knole walked in to the bathroom opened the medicen cabnet and came back with the keys in hand. He wondered what his girlfriend needed them for but he didn't ask. He handed the keys to Andi adn she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back she said As she walked out the door and into the hallway.  
  
Scott finally caught up to Mian and Jean in the Danger room. "You talk her out of it?" Mian asked.  
  
"Actually," Scott began.  
  
"You didn't?" Mian asked.  
  
"He did." Jean said as she and Mian crossed their arms at Scott. "What was I suppose to do? She was going to go wiether I allowed her to or not.. She's just like Theressa."  
  
"I know." Mian said. "That's what worries me." 


	10. A Fight between Mother and Son

Fox flew out further to meet her son.  
  
Michael. She said.Michael, it's me. Your mother. You have to come back home.  
  
Why? He asked angrily. There is nothing there for me.  
  
Yes, there is. You've got your sisters, your grandfather, and alll your friends yo help you when you need it most.  
  
My sisters ignore me and when they do listen or pay any attention to me they treat me like a child. Xavier and Scott won't let me form a team of my own and your not around anymore.  
  
Michael Ethan Knight! I do not want to fight you but I will if that's what it takes. Fox glanced at Renée and saw her eyes were glowing red. She looked at Michael and saw the thing. Then she looked back at Renae and saw that her lips were moving. They were the same words that Michael was saying. Renae was controling Michael!  
  
Xaiver! Theressa cried telepathically.  
  
What is it Theressa?  
  
Renae is controlling Michael. I also think that her telekinetic powers are back because she is flying in the air with out Michael's help.  
  
I will tell the others.  
  
Fox looked at Wolverine and when she did Michael kicked her in the back. Theressa fell a little bit before she caught herself. She flew back to her son. Michael! Renae is controlling you! Try and fight it! I don't want to fight you but I will if I have to.  
  
Bring it on mother! Michael said as he began to circle around Fox and she did the same. Michael tried to kick his mother in the gut but Fox blocked it and flew over her son and kneed him in the back. Michael lost concentration and began to fall but Renae caught him. Once Michael had regained concentration, Renée headed for Fox. She punched Fox in the face and then kicked her in the hut. Fox returned a few blows but was ultimatly defeated. Renae gave one last blow to Theressa's head and she went tumbling to the ground. Logan was watching from the blackbird. He saw his duaghter fall but there saw nothing he could do to save her. By the time he flew the blackbird down there she would have all ready have hit the ground. He tried to close the ramp but someone had a hold of the blackbird. It was both Michael and Renae. The two gracefully and quietly flew into the jet. Michael, telekinetically geabbed Wolverine and threw him up against the wall of the jet. Renae went to the hull and began to fly the blackbird. She turned to Michael and nodded her head once. Michael turned to Wolverine and began to tighten his grip around his grandfather's neck. Then with out warning darkness took over Wolverine. 


	11. Andi's search

Andi had been driving for a while when the visual com-link in the dashboard went off. Andi answered it.  
  
"What?" Andi said as she kept her eyes on the road and off of the visual of Mian.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"You don't know or you won't tell us?" Knole asked his girlfriend. Mian had put him on the line. She thought that if she couldn't get threw to her sister maybe her boyfriend could. It was the next best think to there mother.  
  
"Mian, that ain't fair." Andi said at the sound of Knole's voice.  
  
"Andrea," Knole began. "Answer the question. Do you know where you are or are you not going to tell us where you are?"  
  
"Both. I have no idea what city or state I am in for that matter, and if I did I still wouldn't tell you."  
  
Suddenly, something caught Andi's eye. She stopped the H2 and got out. Andi saw a knife that had it's blade dug into the earth. When she pulled the knife out of the ground she saw a name was written on the handle. She walked back to the H2, and told Mian to put Scott on the line. When he appeared she showed him the knife with her mother's codename written on the handle. "I think you guys should come out and take a look around." 


	12. Knole's qusestion

When everyone finally showed up and had seen the knife no one spoke. After a few moments of complete silence, Jean broke it. "What do we do now?"  
  
"I don't know." Scott said as he folded his arms. "Fox and Wolverine could be anywhere by now. We don't have trackers on either one of them." Scott looked at Andi and how she pleaded with her eyes. "I hate to say it Andi, but there's nothing we can do."  
  
"Wait!" Storm said. "Scott, did you not put a tracker chip on every form of transportation that we own?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Did you put one in the new blackbird Blue?" Jean asked.  
  
"Yeah, just yesterday. Oh I see where you're going with this." Scott ran to the smaller version of the Blackbird Blue jet to run the tracking program. Everyone but Knole and Andi followed him.  
  
"Andi, why wouldn't you tell me where you were?" Knole asked as he looked into Andi's beautiful hazel eyes.  
  
"Because," Andi began. "I wanted to do this on my own. I knew that if I found anything my first instinct would be to call you guys. Sometimes I want to do things on my own and in my own way." Knole nodded and looked towards the small jet. "Knole, are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah. There's something I've got to do on my own and in my own way, too." Knole went down on one knee and took Andi's left hand. "Andrea, I fell in love with you the moment I met you. That love was tested when you wanted to see my face. I doughted that love and turned away but that only brought you closer. You told me that you didn't care how I looked on the outside but it was the shape of my heart that mattered. I have carried those words and their meaning with me for these years that I have known you. Will you Andrea Hannah Knight make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?" Tears ran down Andi' s face as she looked around. The others had come back and heard most of the speech. When Knole saw that her gaze went behind him, he looked and saw everyone similing at the young couple.  
  
"Well, will you?" Knole asked as he met her gaze once more. "Yes. There is nothing I would love more." Knole stood uo and kissed Andi romantically. "Okay," Jean said. "Let's go get Fox and Logan."  
  
When Logan woke up he found that he and Fox were hanging up side down. He looked down and saw a pool of electric eels. He felt like he was on a really bad science fiction movie. "If that ain't classic." Logan said to himself. He felt Theressa move a little bit. He knew she was in bad shape from the fall but didn't know the extent of her injures. He doubted she would tell him for the sake that they had to get out alive.  
  
"You okay kid?"  
  
"Yeah, my head is killing me, I think my right arm is broken and my clothes are torn."  
  
"Did you land in a tree or somethin'?"  
  
"You don't know the half of it, but yeah I landed in a tree. My leg hurts like heck. What's going on?"  
  
"We've been caputred by your son and his girl."  
  
"I dropped my knife, right before I hit the tree."  
  
"What makes you think they'll come looking for us?"  
  
Fox rolled her eyes. "First of all when Andi notices that we left she'll jump in the H2 and try and find us. Secondly, Scott put a tracer on the new blackbird jet that you took."  
  
"You doin' a Psi scan or somethin'?" Logan asked. He knew there was no way Fox could come up with that off the top of her head without taping into someone's mind.  
  
"Yeah, Andi, Mian, Knole, Nethogent, Jean, Storm, Xavier Luke and Scott are on their way. I'm psi linked with Jean, so I don't scare Andi and Mian. Hold on a sec." Theressa changed focus to Jean.  
  
Why is Xavier with you?  
  
I don't know. He said he would probably have to be the one to defeat Renae. Where are you?  
  
I'm not sure yet. But I'll let you .know as soon as I find out. Which will probably be forever and a day.   
  
What do your surroundings look like?  
  
Wolverine and I are chained up side down and there is a pool of electric eels right below us. And that AWWWWWW Theressa screamed in Jeans mind.  
  
"THERESSA!" Jean screamed aloud. Everyone in the back was wide-awake and curious to know why Jean screamed. She had grabbed on to Scott's arm without knowing it. Her face was bright with panic and fear. Scott, who was driving the jet asked storm to take the hull while he calmed Jean down. Scott knelt next to the co-pilot's seat and grabbed Jean 's hand.  
  
"Jean," Scott said gently. "You all right? What's wrong?"  
  
"I was telepathically communticating with Black Fox. I was getting her to tell me what was around her when she screamed both aloud and telepathically. She's uncouncus now and I can't get threw to her. Something is very wrong Scott. Something is very wrong." Scott told storm Thank you for the assistance and took over the jet once more. "Where is the tracking device leading us?" Knole asked.  
  
"Well," Scott began. "We should be over the Atlantic Ocean in five....four....three....two....one! There now we go STRAIT DOWN?!"  
  
"What's wrong Uncle Scott?" Mian asked.  
  
"Nothing, but the tracer says that the Blackbird blue is underneath the Atlantic Ocean floor. Now if you ask me, that isn't normal." Jean looked at her husband, her friend and her leader.  
  
"Scott when has anything gone normally?"  
  
"I guess your right but this is weird."  
  
"Stranger things have happened." Storm said.  
  
"Name one." Scott said.  
  
"The time when Fury was controlling Theressa even though we thought he was dead." Storm said.  
  
"The time Theressa's father turned against her and I and almost killed us." Jean said. "All right, I get your point," Scott said. "I just told you to name one not five. If the tracer says go below the Atlantic then below the Atlantic we will go." Scott prepared the small jet for a nose dive and when he did they were sucked in and Scott no longer had control of the jet. All they could do would be to sit back and enjoy the ride.  
  
Mean while in the place where Logan and Theressa are.  
  
"AWWWWW!!" Theressa cried again.  
  
"Kid, what's wrong?" Logan asked as he listened to his daughter scream out in pain. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her face. She had blood coming out her nose and falling to the pool below. Her eyes showed how much pain she was in and her scar was a dark purple. "Theressa answer me!"  
  
"I...I was talking...to Jean...When suddenly I was...shocked. I've tried to reestablish another link but I can't get threw! I can't use any of my powers."  
  
"Stop for a while would yah. You're going to kill yourself if you don't." Theressa took her father's advice and stopped. "Okay, kid." Logan whispered. "I've got us a plan. If I pop my claws out I can break the chains. I'll fall and then jump to catch you before we hit the pool. Stay perfectly still cuz I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry if I do." Logan said. Theressa closed her eyes as she waited for the sound of his metal claws striking the metal chains. Evedentally, who ever Michael and Renee were working for hadn't used adimantium chains becuase with in two seconds Wolverine fell to towards the ground, did a flip caught Theressa and she landed safely on the floor beside the pool of eels. When Theressa looked for Wolverine she saw that from his waist down was in the electric pool and he was slipping. Fox grabbed her father's arms and began to pull him up. She saw that he had a chain around his anckle. The chain had a red, blinking, dot on it. Theressa tried to breaking but couldn't with her own hands. She grabbed Wolverine's left had and, with the claws, broke the chain. She knew he would be fine once his healing factor kicked in. Now she had to get the chain off of her own ankel and warn the others. She pulled as hard as she could on the chain on her right anckle but it was useless. She continued to pull on it for ten more minutes, when three claws torn it to shreds. She looked up and saw Wolverine standing over her. He helped her up and just as they were about to walk out Wolverine stopped. That was way too easy!" He walked over to the electric eel pool, picked one up, and threw it at the opening. Just as he thought there was a force field around every opening of the room. So they were trapped once again. "If you had walked into that, "Wolverine said. "You would be shiscobob right now." Theressa looked at the dead eel. It was a good thing Wolverine had seen that one comeing becuase she sure hadn't.  
  
"Bravo, Wolverine!" Said a voice from the shadows. There was a ramp to Wolverine and Fox's left. It was dark but Wolverine could make out two male figures. One tall and one a little on the short side. The third was a woman about the same highth as the short man. "Who's that?" Fox asked as she arm herself to fight the best she could with a broken arm. Logan began to sniff the air. Two scents he knew for sure but the third one was familiar but he couldn't name it. "Michael and Renae are over there with a third guy but I don't know who it is." Wolverine told Fox.  
  
"Who the heck are you?" Fox yelled at the unknown figure.  
  
"My dear, that is for me to know and for you to find out!" 


	13. Reinforcements

The jet had stopped and everyone breathed a sigh of reliaf but just as they had stopped falling, water started to poor into the jet. Jean looked out side and saw a tunnel that went into the ocean floor. Knole, Jean asked threw a psi link. Can you make a tunnel, with your staff, for us to go threw so we can get into that tunnel? Knole nodded his head. He made something simaler to a black hole that at the other end opened the side of the tunnel. Jean directed everyone into the black tunnel. Scott went first and Knole took up the end. Once they were in the metal tunnel that went under ground, Knole sealed the hole he had made. The walked in the tunnel for a while until they fell into a big empty room. There was not another soul in the entire room.  
  
"What do we do know?" Andi asked as Knole helped her up off of the floor.  
  
"First, we fined a way out of this room and then we spilt up." Scott said as he studied the room. He noticed that Jean was staring off into space. He told the others to look for a away out while he found out what she was up to. "Jean, you okay?" Scott asked his wife.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Wolverine and Theressa are in here somewhere."  
  
"What?" Scott said as he looked around. All he saw were the X-men walking amlessly around an empty room. There were no windows, no doors, no vents to crawl threw. There was nothing within the four walls but them and a short supply of air. "How? What? That's ridiculous!" Scott stummbled over his wrods trying to express how he felt. Jean only smiled. It wasn't so ridiculous to her but then again she was using her telepathic powers to see right threw the villain's invisibility cloak. "Scott tell the others to come over here and don't step in the center of the room." Scott did as his wife had asked and when everyone was over there she told them what she saw.  
  
"Black Fox and Wolverine are chained up against the left wall, in the center of the room there is a small pool of electric eels. I'm going to telepathically disable the cloak."  
  
"But what if they see us?" Mian asked. Jean knew someone would ask that question and she was prepared to give an answer. "I'm going to make it appere as it we are invisable. So no one will see us." Jean tried to disarm the cloak but for some reason it wouldn't disarm for some reason. She had a strange look on her face as she continued to try to continue with her plan. Nothing.  
  
"Dammit!" Jean said a loud. It shocked Scott because she wasn't the type of person who would cuse unless she was really ticked off.  
  
"What's wrong Jean?" Storm asked. She, too, knew something was wrong.  
  
"I can't get threw the cloak. There must be another telepath who is blocking me, but who? It wouldn't be Theressa because I can't get threw to her either. I AWWWWWW!" Jean fell to the floor in pain. Scott knelt down beside her as he held her in his arms.  
  
"Jean!" He cried unable to say anything else. Jean slowly sat up, using Scott for a backrest. She was breathing deep. She finally stood to her feet, with Scott's help.  
  
"What just happened?" Nethogent asked.  
  
"Someone just hit me with a telepathic punch. It was more powerful that I have ever endured. It was more powerful than the ones I give Wolverine some times when he won't leave me alone. AWWWWWWW." Jean fell once more and this time was unconscious. Scott looked at Xavier who, by the look on his face was in pain but not as much as Jean. Luke fell to the ground grabbing their heads. He was the next to fall because he was not a mutant. Then Andi and Mian fell, next Storm, Nethogent and Knole and the last thing Scott saw was Xavier falling out of his wheelchair. Then unwillingly, darkness came over him.  
  
When Scott woke up he found that everyone was chained to the wall, just like Wolverine and Fox. His viser was gone and replace with a ruby helemet. he couldn't see the others but he knew they were in the same boat as he was. He heard Jean wake up and he began to call to her.  
  
"Jean, where are you?" He asked.  
  
"I'm right next to you. Do you want me to tell you what shape the others are in?"  
  
"Yes please that would really help."  
  
"All right. Um...let's see Andi and Mian are still out. Knole and Nethogent are fine and they are awake and by the looks of it are worried about their girlfriends and their mother. Logan looks fine but Fox doesn't. Her right arm appears to be broken and she has dry blood on her face. Beast, Luke and Xavier are awake. I think Xavier has a plan by the look on his face."  
  
"What color is Theressa's scar?" Scott asked. He could figure out how she felt by the color of her scar and what she was trying to do. Althought he was sure he knew what she was trying to do.  
  
"A dark purple. Scott, I'm going to see if I can telekinetically remove the chains." Jean closed her eyes. Scott figured out why there was blood on Theressa's face but by the time he tried to warn her it was too late. She was all ready trying to use her powers.  
  
"JEAN!! NO!!" He cried but he was too slow in acting.  
  
"AWWWWAWWWAWWW!" Jean screamed for thirty seconds strait and then all was silent once more. This scarred the heck out of Scott because he couldn't see if his wife was okay. He couldn't see if she was breathing or if she was still alive. He tried to get out but as hard as he tried he couldn't get out.  
  
"Well, Well, Well, look what my nets have caught." a voice said. Scott had heard it before in another battle before Fox came to the X-men, but he couldn't place the voice with a face.  
  
"What the heck do you want, bub?" Logan said at the top of his lungs. Scott knew that Wolverine would try to bite the villain's head off if he hurt anyone of the X-men including himself. Wolverine had, what Scott thought, given up the fight for Jean years ago but that my have been because Chris had married his daughter and didn't really like Wolverine that much. He would probably never know because he had given up all hope of getting out, all hope of living.  
  
"T you okay?" Wolverine asked his daughter as she woke up. She saw a tall grey man standing in front of her. He had several strands of cloth coming from the collar of his getup. He wore a blue suit with a red dimond on his chest and a red belt around his waist. He had blue gloves and boots to match. Off to the left she saw Renée who wore a tank top that slanted to the right and a very short skirt and they were both black. Michael had changed cloths as well. He now wore no shirt but thankfully he had black pants on. "Theressa, you okay?" Wolverine asked again after he didn't get a reply the first time.  
  
"What do you think?" Fox yelled. She tried to find a weakness in the chains but she couldn't find it. "Who the heck are you?"  
  
"My dear, poor Black Fox. I am a man of many talents. You ask who I am. Well, my true name is Nathaniel Essex. I am a scientist. I had a son who died because of his genetic defects. I supported the idea of controlling mating and breeding of humans in order to create the superior children. I thought that at that time a superhuman race of mutants would evolve soon. Although Charles Darwin thought I was insane, as well as my own wife. On her death bed she called me 'sinister'."  
  
"And we thought Apocalypse was crazy." Wolverine said.  
  
"Funny you should mention him Wolverine. He is the one who gave me this look to match the darkness of my insides. You ask me who I am. I am Sinister and a scientist and you, my dear X-men, are my lab rats. I plan on using your Powers to make the ultimate mutant. Her name will be The Taker. She all ready is very strong and has taken the abilities of three people. She has taken the ability to fire a gun from a police chief's wife. From the police chief, himself, she now knows every single aspect of the law that there is to know. As for Michael, she has duplicated his telekinetic powers to make her's stronger. Now, who should I start with first? How about Black Fox? Your twitching is really getting on my nerves. Michael unchain your mother and Renée do your stuff. This ought to be good." Michael did as Sinister had asked as well as Renée. Theressa fell to the floor but not for long. Renée moved her right hand up, and Fox went up as well. Her arms were stretched out and her mouth was open wide. A light came out of her mouth, eyes and nose and went into Renée. When it was over Theressa fell to the ground. She felt strange almost powerless. She hadn't felt like this since she was eleven years old. She slowly stood to her feet as she looked at her hands.  
  
"What's wrong, Fox?" Beast asked as he and everyone else who was awake watched.  
  
"My powers, their gone!" 


	14. Mind Battels

"What do yah mean gone?" Wolverine asked.  
  
"I mean, Renée, or rather Taker, here took my powers. I am no longer a mutant."  
  
Xavier closed his eyes and concentrated on Taker. He was able to by pass the chain, on his ankle that was suppose to prevent him from using his powers, and get in to her mind. On the astral plane he could appeared as what ever or who ever he wished. This time he chose to be himself with the exception that he wasn't in a wheel chair. He was able to use his legs once more. He saw a dark figure in all of the white of the astral plane. He knew it was Renée. The darkness resembled what side she was on and how her heart was shaded. To Renée, Xavier would look white and clean and pure because his intentions were good and his heart pure.  
  
Renée, listen to me. Xavier pleaded. You must give Black Fox her powers back!  
  
Why? Renée asked harshly.  
  
Because they are not yours to have. They belong to one of my students who has, in some ways been afraid to use her powers and in others, has hidden behind them.   
  
Sinister has given them to me. Renée said with a smirk on her face.  
  
No, Renée. Those powers are not his to give. He told you to steel them and you did! Now stop this NOW!! Don't follow Sinister anymore. Release your hold on Michael and come with me. Join me in my fight for good.  
  
Ha! Fight for good? What fight for good? Humans and mutants can not co-exist peacefully, Xavier and part of you knows that but you don't want to admit it. You dream of peace and hope is useless old man. The dark side will win and rule over humans and any mutants who are against us! Renae said. She was right. Part of Xavier knew that his dream was hopeless but the other part was much stronger than any douhts he could ever have. There was no way he would give up his dream. There was no way he would abandon his students. Not now anyway.  
  
Give Black Fox her powers BACK!!! Xavier demanded.  
  
You will have to fight me for it!  
  
Fine! Xavier said. He saw Renae get out a sword that was three times it's normal size. Xavier had no weapons but he did have a shield that he would use to protect himself. Just as Renae swung her sword Xavier blocked it with the telepathic shield. Xaiver hit Renae with a small telepathic punch that She was not able to block. To Xavier and Renae, they had been fighting for only a few moments but to everyone else they had been at it for an hour strait.  
  
Michael , held his mother up against the wall with a telekinetic restanint. He knew that his mother could not get out because she was powerless and he knew how much that hurt her. She began to plead with her son to snap out of it and she told him that Renae had been controlling him. She looked at Michael's eyes and they were no longer red. They were their normal shade of blue and had been ever since she saw her son here. This broke her heart. She now knew that there was no way to convince her only son to come back home. He had chosen his fate and no one had been controlling him when he had. She also knew that in the future, She and the rest of the X-men would have to battle him with everything they had.  
  
Suddenly, Theressa was able to break the telekinetic restaints. She flew up in the air, arms stretched out and mouth open as before. There was a light coming out of Renae and into Black Fox. When the last of the light had gone into Theressa, a fire like light appered to incompass Theressa. Now, standing straight up in the air, Fox waived her right arm and all of her friends were free. She turned to Renae and joined the telepathic battle. When she entered Renae's mind she found that Xaiver had been loosing the battle. He had been able to force Theressa's powers out of Renae and back to their owner. Theressa hit Renae with a telepathic punch that should have killed her. Renae left Xaiver and focused on Fox. Fox keeped powneding her with punches but she kept coming. Finally she retreated to Xaiver.  
  
Everyone saw Renae place a hand on Xavier's brow and suck his powers and his life out of him. Fox tried to save her long time friend but she wasn't fast enough. She wasn't fast enough with her improved powers. Fox left Renae's mind and came back to reality. She saw Xavier's body fall to the ground. It was over. There had been no time to scream. No time to act. There was only time to watch in horror and wish that it had never happened. Fox fell to her knees as she tried to revive her friend, mentour and antoher father figuer but he was gone. Charles Frances Xavier was dead!  
  
Jean helped Scott to his feet. It was a good thing that he had not seen what had just happened. Other wise he would have blown Renee's head off. Xavier had been a father to an orphan boy for many years of his life and Jean knew how he would feel because everyone would feel the same thing, hurt, anger, and sadness. All the X-men stood to their feet and began to walk to Theressa.  
  
Black Fox stood up and grabbed Scott's visor off of Sinister's belt. She thought it only fair that he see what had happened. She handed it to Jean, who removed the ruby helmet and placed the visor on his eyes. When Scott could finally see he saw the one thing that he never wanted to see. He walked over to Xavier's body and tears began to fall. He handed the body to Hank and told him to take the body and Andi, Mian, Nethogent and Knole, Luke to the Blackbird that Wolverine and Theressa had brought. They would be along shortly.  
  
Storm created a strong wind to hold Sinister while Scott and Jean and Wolverine did a number on him. Scott put his visor on full blast and hit him repeatedly in the chest. Jean hit him with telepathic punches and Wolverine tore threw his side. Theressa stood in front of Michael and Renée. She went once more to the astral plane to face Renée. Give me Xavier's powers! Why? The old man is dead! They are mine to keep! No they are not! You were the one who killed him in order to gain the power you now have. Every time you take someone's powers you steal their soul as well! You have to stop and you have to stop now!!!   
  
Theressa had a sword bigger than Renee's and with one sweep stabbed her. When Theressa disconnected from the astral plane she saw that Renée had fallen to the ground. Michael came over to her side and stared at his mother. "She'll be fine, son. I only hurt her mind not her body." Then, another light came from Renée and went into Theressa. In Theressa's mind she screamed for the power was receiving was more powerful than she had ever imagined. When the light was gone, she saw so was Sinister. Wolverine came over to Theressa and said. "Kid, we've got to go. Cyke, punched a hole threw the ceiling and waters poring in fast. This place will be under water in seconds.  
  
Without taking her eyes off of Michael and Renée, Fox put a telekinetic shield around Her, Jean, Scott, Storm, Wolverine, and flew them out of the ocean and met the blackbird on the surface. Beast lowered the ramp and Theressa put Wolverine, Jean, Scott, and Storm on the jet  
  
Andi scenced something different about her mother but she didn't know what it was. So she asked Jean as she watched her mother take a seat by Wolverine.  
"Aunt Jean, What happened to my mom? Something's different." "The last time she telepathically fought Renée for Xavier's powers she won and now she has his powers and my guess along with his soul. You see Renée uses her power to take other people's powers and when she does she takes a part of their soul as well. When your mom gained Xavier's powers she gained what was left of him." Jean said as she turned to Scott who's head was in his hands. "It will be all right." She told him. He only shook his head.  
  
"No, Jean it won't not this time. This time it's over for good." 


	15. The loss of a good friend but the return...

"We are gathered here today, to morn the loss of Charles Frances Xavier." said the minister. "Now, I believe Scott Summers and his wife Jean would like to say a few words." The minister stepped down from the podeum and sat in his seat on the first pew. The sevece was a privet one and was held at the local chruch. Storm, Beast, Andi, Mian, Knole and Nehtogent sat on the first row in the second section. Luke sat right behind them next to where Jean and Scott had been sitting and all of the other students who had been and were students of Xavier filled all of the seats behind the team. . Wolverine and Theressa stood in the back of the church as they listened to Scott's words.  
  
"I have known Xavier ever since I was a teenager. He found a boy who had not opened his eyes in months because if he did, he would kill someone. I was his first student and Jean, my wife, was his first female student. We started the X-men team and once we were old enough, we began to teach others. When Jean and I were around twenty we met many of the people you see here to night...."  
  
Wolverine turned to his daughter. He looked at her face and saw, that it was wet and her eyes were red and swollen. She said something but he couldn't hear it so he asked.  
  
"You say somethin'?"  
  
"I should have been able to save him! He gave me my powers back, plus what was left of his, and I couldn't save his life! It's my fault he's dead! It's all my fault!" Logan took his daughter in his arms and tried to calm her as tears, uncontrollably, came running down her, all ready, wet face.  
  
"It ain't yer fault! He did what he had to do! He did it for us. Yah have to know that. He doesn't want yah to blame yerself for somethin' you couldn't stop. It was the same way with yah when yah left. The kids blamed themselves for you leaven and Chris gone. You ain't got ta blame yerself an' neither do they."  
  
I know but I can't help it. I hurt so much dad and I want to blame someone and the only person I can blame without getting mad at anyone is myself. I lost a friend and my son, all in one day. I just hope that we don't have to run in to them again. I know it's a terrible thing for a mother to say about her son but I do."  
  
A few days later, Theressa found Scott on the balcony of her room. He hadn't been much for talking but since he was on her balcony, she thought he wanted to talk.  
  
"How you holding up?" She asked as she walked onto the balcony.  
  
"Okay, I guess. I know you lost your son as well as Xavier and I don't know how it feels to lose a child but I do know what it feels like to lose someone you love. Theressa, Jean, Storm, Beast and I are leaving. We don't think that we can continue to be X-men with the man who created it, gone. I'll tell banshee that you may nee some help and I'll give you his number."  
  
"When are you leaving?" Theressa asked as she held back the tears. Scott looked down and so did Theressa. She saw Jean, storm and Beast, packing the X-van with all of their belongings.  
  
"Now, I suppose." Scott said as he began to walk off of the balcony and to the door.  
  
"Scott," Theressa said as she grabbed his arm. "How about on last flight with me?" She asked with a smile. He nodded and grabbed her hand. She telekinetically flew herself and Scott down to where he needed to be. She saw that everyone else was all ready there. Once she landed Jean came over to her.  
  
"Listen," She said. "If you can't handle these new powers of yours, call me and I'll come running. The parents of the students all ready came by and picked them up. We want the parents to think about having their children here if Xavier is not. Other than that. This whole place is yours. Take good care of it will you?"  
  
"Yeah, I will." Theressa hugged Jean and then Storm, Beast and finally Scott. He handed her a number, where he could be reached. "You take care of yourself, you hear?" Theressa said as she hugged Scott. "I will." He said as he got into the driver's seat of the van. Once everyone had received a hug and some good-bye information, Jean, Storm and Beast got in the van with Scott and drove off. Wolverine sent Andi, Mian, Knole, and Nethogent inside so that he could be alone with his daughter.  
  
"Andi told me that they are going to hold off on the wedding until this whole thing is far in the past and you feel up to being there." He wrapped his arm around his daughter as the watched the sun set together.  
  
A few moments later Luke came out. "I think I better go too." Luke said to Theressa. She nodded her head.  
  
"You remember where your truck is right?" She asked.  
  
Luke nodded his head and walked away. Theressa couldn't help but think that she had had her last adventure for a very long time. Wolverine looked at his daughter.  
  
"You want to go in?"  
  
"No, not yet Dad. Can you stay out here with me?"  
  
"I'll stay out here as long as you need me to." And indeed he did. He stayed with Theressa until midnight when she was finally ready to go in and face her children. 


End file.
